Come Play With Me
by HopeAlways
Summary: Written for the SOB Rain Scene Challenge. One version of a happy life for Bella and Jacob, but he's not the only pack member who gets all wet.


**Penname: HopeAlways**

**Title of story: Come Play With Me**

**Main Character(s): Jacob/Bella**

**Canon/AH/AU/etc: AU/Non-Canon**

**"The Rain Scene" Challenge**

**http://www(.)fanfiction(.)net/~teamsob**

**The ideas/characters you recognize belong to S. Meyer.**

**She can keep Edward… I'll be over here, with Jacob ; )**

**_CRASH!_**

Bella jerked awake at the sound of a loud clap of thunder.

She took several deep breaths to calm her frantically beating heart. No matter how often she found herself in this situation, it startled her every time.

The wind whipped by and the curtains billowed silently into the room. Despite the torrents of rain falling, the air was still relatively warm. Bella breathed it in, sweet and moist, relishing the feeling as it kissed her bare skin.

The day was dawning, the sky just beginning to lighten in the east. A small smile crept across Bella's lips. She pulled back the sheet and planted her feet on the cool, wood floor. She sat waiting as the sky became lighter and lighter. She listened as the rain fell on the roof, lightening with each passing minute until it fell no longer, but simply hung in the air around her.

Bella snuck a glance at her clock. Charlie's alarm would go off soon. She sat perfectly still for a long time, savoring the quiet of the house. The sun was above the horizon now and she could see the last of the storm clouds rolling off into the distance.

A tentative beeping made its way into her consciousness, followed shortly by the creaking of the floorboards in her father's room. The peace of the morning broken, Bella rose from her bed and made her way silently to the window. She pulled the pane up the rest of the way and leaned out, inhaling the scents left behind by the rain.

The freshness of the air cleansed her and she smiled, completely happy to be alive. She couldn't help but feel that this day was made specifically for her; she certainly planned to take advantage of it as though it had been.

With that thought in mind Bella ambled over to her closet and surveyed her options. The past few days had been tortuously hot and sticky and Bella had loved it. She was sure that it would be cooler today, now that the storm had broken, but that knowledge wasn't enough to dampen her spirits.

She chose a pair of faded jeans and layered a shirt over a tank top, hoping she would have a chance to sun her bare shoulders again today. She slid her feet into her favorite, well-worn Converse and made her way back to her open window, grinning one last time at the beauty of the day before closing her window to the elements of the world.

Bella felt wonderfully aloft as she made her way to the stairs, passing a showering Charlie. She was eager to start her day; after pacing the kitchen twice she couldn't wait any longer and scribbled him a quick note.

_Dad,_

_Heading out for the day - I don't work. I've got my cell. See you tonight. Love,_

_~B_

Bella made one more circuit, flicking on the coffeemaker and grabbing an apple on her way out the door.

Windows down, Bella drove leisurely through town without meeting any other traffic. She smiled to herself as she pulled over on Elm Street, the smell of freshly baked bread and doughnuts luring her into the local bakery.

She popped in and placed her usual Sunday order, making small-talk with Don, the baker, as she nibbled a small apple fritter. She left with a golden loaf of bread under one arm and the Sunday paper under her other.

Bella climbed back into her truck and started driving without a consciously acknowledged destination. She considered her options for the day, thinking that she didn't have any specific designs laid out, but as the familiar landscape of La Push came into view she couldn't play coy any longer; she smiled broadly as she finally admitted to herself that she'd known all along that this was where she would end up.

Bella chuckled as she pulled up to the Blacks' home, the noise of her truck announcing her presence in the otherwise silent morning. The rabbit was parked in its usual spot; a likely indicator that Jacob was home.

She made her way silently through the front door, only realizing as she stalked through the dark and sleepy household that it was probably inappropriately early for some people. She tiptoed past Billy's bedroom and as quietly as she could manage, turned the knob to open Jacob's door.

The sight that met her eyes made her smile wider than anything else could have. Jacob's massive body was draped unceremoniously across his small bed; limbs flung every which way in a position that Bella was sure couldn't be comfortable. He slept in only a pair of navy boxers, Bella's favorite color on his soft, russet skin. His smooth, taut back beckoned for her touch, but she resisted.

She made her way over to his bed and knelt softly on the floor next to him, studying his sleeping form. At twenty-two, Bella felt he'd finally grown into his body, but she knew he would always have a young face. His beautiful, raven hair, almost as long as it once was, partially obscured his features from her view. As lightly as she could, she reached up and brushed it back onto his pillow.

Jacob breathed in deeply, subconsciously recognizing the feel of Bella's soft, cool fingertips. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking several times as a smile played out across his lips.

"Bells," he whispered, voice heavy with sleep. "What are you doing here?"

"Shh," Bella swept her fingers lightly across his forehead. "You're dreaming… go back to sleep," she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the temple.

"Mmmm," Jacob closed his eyes and smiled sweetly. "This is a good dream."

Bella sat back on her heels and watched as Jacob's bare back rose and fell with each breath. When she was sure he was sleeping soundly she stood up and stretched. She walked to Jacob's dresser and stole a hair rubber band, sneaking one last glance at his sleeping figure before she silently crept out of his bedroom and down the hall.

The water was running in the bathroom - Billy was awake.

Bella tied up a messy ponytail as she made her way into the kitchen and started the coffeepot before raiding the refrigerator for breakfast. She moved with the comfort of someone completely at home, setting the table with what she knew were Billy's favorites: butter and jam, half and half and sugar.

She was cutting open a grapefruit when Billy wheeled himself into the kitchen, smiling at her with a father's love.

"You're up early this morning, Bells," Billy said, giving her a small wink.

"Morning, dad," Bella swooped in to give Billy a quick kiss on the cheek before setting half of the citrus on the table in front of him. She whirled around gracefully and poured two cups of coffee. "Want anything special this morning?" she asked over her shoulder.

"No, but thanks. This looks great Bells, any special occasion today?" he asked, reaching out to take the mug that Bella offered him.

She grinned widely at him. "Nope. Just enjoying being alive." Bella pulled out her chair and joined Billy at the small kitchen table. "I brought you the paper," she smiled sweetly as she dug out the _Comics_ section, leaving the rest for Billy to pillage.

He chuckled and shook his head, searching for the _Sports_ section. "You're too good to this old man."

She just smiled back and shrugged, sipping her coffee.

They sat together, the silence punctuated only by the sounds of quiet chewing, the rustling of newspaper and the occasionally quiet giggle when a comic strip sufficiently tickled Bella.

After Bella had read her fill, she cleared the dirty dishes and set about cooking breakfast for Jacob: eggs in a basket and bacon.

Billy couldn't help but watch Bella as she worked in his kitchen. Humming quietly to herself, she truly was a vision to behold. The smell of her cooking permeated throughout the small house and Billy chuckled softly when his stomach growled in reaction.

"Smells damn good, Bells," he smiled widely, catching her eye. "Maybe I'll take one of those after all."

Bella winked at him before sliding a small plate across the table. "I knew you couldn't resist," she smirked, turning back to the stove.

Billy chuckled at his own predictability. "You know me too well."

The two kept silent company for a few minutes, Bella cooking, Billy reading, until the creaking of floorboards in the hallway alerted them to Jacob's presence.

Billy never missed an opportunity to tease his only son. He straightened up in his wheelchair and set down the page he was reading, turning his attention to Bella. "You take such good care of me Bella, you know if Jacob doesn't propose to you one of these days I think I may just have to…"

Jacob dropped his half-asleep self into the seat next to his father.

"Oh, sorry son. Didn't see you there," Billy grinned wickedly at Bella, ignoring a scowling Jacob.

"Uh huh. Whatever you say, dad," Jacob rolled his eyes as he took the mug of coffee that Bella offered him.

Billy chuckled playfully, returning his attention to the newspaper in front of him.

When she'd flipped the last of the toast, Bella brought the heaping platter to the table. As she turned back towards the stove, Jacob caught her wrist and tugged her lightly back to him. Pulling her in between his legs, Jacob guided her to sit on his knee.

"You…" he leaned in to kiss the tip of Bella's nose, "lied to me this morning. You said I was dreaming," he closed his eyes, smiling as Bella ran her fingers through his shaggy mane.

"You **were** dreaming," Bella teased him, tracing his eyebrows softly with her thumbs.

"Hmmm, a dream come true," Jacob whispered, leaning forward to steal a chaste kiss.

Billy cleared his throat. "I think that's my cue to leave," he smirked, backing himself away from the kitchen table. "Thanks for breakfast, Bells," he patted her on the shoulder as he wheeled past the pair.

Bella caught his fingertips in passing and gave him a loving smile. "The answer is yes, Billy, you need only ask the question."

Billy chuckled loudly as he wheeled himself down the hallway towards his bedroom.

"You shouldn't encourage him," Jacob whispered, rubbing his nose down Bella's neck, from her ear to her collarbone.

Bella leaned into Jacob's touch, holding in a moan. "What's the matter, Black? Afraid of a little competition?" she crooked an eyebrow at him before relinquishing her spot on his lap.

Jacob threw his head back and clutched his heart. "Oh! That hurts," he sighed dramatically.

Standing in front of the sink, Bella rolled her eyes. She started running the water to clean up when Jacob grabbed her around the waist and unceremoniously threw her over his shoulder. She let out an involuntary shriek.

"Jesus! I hate it when you do that," she smacked Jacob playfully on the ass as he rounded the small kitchen table.

"Actually, the name's Jacob," he teased back.

"Jacob," Bella huffed, "let me do the dishes, please."

"No can do little lady," he reached out to turn off the running water. "It's a beautiful day outside and the sunshine beckons."

Jacob spun around at the sound of his father's booming laughter in the doorway.

"The boy's right, Bella. You two go enjoy the nice weather while you can," Billy waved towards the front door before retreating to the living room.

"Aye, aye, cap'ain," Bella said, saluting in Billy's general direction as Jacob carried her towards the door.

Once outside Jake dropped Bella back onto her own feet, giving her her favorite smile and a quick peck on the cheek. "Beach?" he asked, taking her small hand in his own.

"Beach," Bella nodded with a content smile.

"Bike?" Jacob grinned mischievously.

Bella rolled her eyes and shook her head, letting go of Jacob's hand as he dashed towards the garage.

~*~

It was still quite early when the couple walked onto the beach. The sand was a comfortable warm temperature. The sun was shining brightly, not a cloud in sight. Hardly anyone was out yet, but Jacob immediately recognized a small grouping of people down the shore.

As they drew closer, Bella recognized Quil and Embry, shirtless, throwing a football back and forth. Seth saw their approach from his spot on a nearby blanket, and waved enthusiastically. Leah lifted her head long enough to identify Jacob and Bella before returning to sunning her back.

"Jake - man, catch!" Embry tossed the football towards Jacob who released Bella's hand just in time to catch it. He threw it to Quil before turning to Bella with a sparkle in his dark eyes.

"Oh, go on," she teased, pushing him playfully on the shoulder. "Go have fun with your friends."

Jacob gave her a quick peck on the cheek before taking off towards his friends. He intercepted a pass from Embry to Quil and was promptly tackled into the sand.

"Hey Bella. How's it going?" Seth scooted over to make room for her, patting the space next to him on the colorful blanket.

"Great," she beamed. Bella dropped down to the blanket, accepting his invitation. Reaching out she turned the book that he'd been reading so that she could read the title. "The Book Thief," she murmured aloud. "Is it any good?" she asked, catching his eye.

Seth shot her a toothy grin. "Amazing," he replied, standing up and taking his t-shirt off. He jogged backwards in the direction of Jacob and the others, tossing his balled up shirt back towards Bella. "You should borrow it; I've read it already," he spun around and waved to Quil, catching the ball deftly as he threw it to him.

Bella pulled the low ponytail out of her hair, repositioning it in a messy, high-placed bun, before unbuttoning and removing her overshirt and rolling over onto her stomach. She kicked her shoes off, curling her toes in the sand.

Leah raised her head, giving Bella a quick once-over. "Swan," she nodded politely, acknowledging her presence, before dropping her head back into her forearms.

Bella felt a small surge of jealousy at Leah's perfect body - tan and fit, with curves in all the right places. Her tiny shorts and black bikini top showed it all off marvelously. A quiet sigh escaped Bella's lips as she opened Seth's book, eager to lose herself in what looked to be a fascinating story.

A few chapters in, Leah's head popped up suddenly. She let out a disgusted sigh but before Bella could ask, she saw the answer walking towards them.

Jared and Paul jogged by in their normal, shirtless attire, while Sam, Emily and Kim followed just behind. Sam gave Emily a loving kiss on the lips before taking off to join the rest of the men.

She and Kim had just made it to the edge of the blanket when Leah launched herself up from her reclined position and jogged to where her brother stood, waving her over.

Emily sighed, but greeted Bella with a smile nonetheless. "Beautiful day," she said, setting down the large picnic basket she was carrying before turning to help Kim spread out the blanket they brought with them.

"Definitely," Bella agreed, sitting up to join them.

They made small talk for several minutes before Bella's attention was drawn to the football game.

It took her a few moments to figure out the teams: Jake, Seth, Quil and Leah versus Sam, Embry, Paul and Jared. All of the guys, except Jacob, were dressed in shorts - _only shorts_. Jacob wore the only pair of shoes in the whole group, size 13 navy Converse, with a pair of holey jeans and a black t-shirt.

From a distance it would be impossible for someone not intimately acquainted with the pack to distinguish a difference between the individuals in the group, with the exception of Leah, of course.

Bella watched the game for a couple of minutes - Leah made a number of great throws as quarterback - before returning her attention to The Book Thief. She looked up occasionally, when Kim or Emily would cheer, or when the commotion in the game was enough to catch her attention.

After a time Bella found herself shivering. The wind had picked up and she noticed for the first time that the sky was dotted with grey clouds. She frowned to herself as she put on her overshirt, and dug her feet into the still-warm sand at the edge of the blanket. Just as she resumed reading, Emily interrupted her.

"Bella, Kim and I are going to head back to my place. It looks like it'll rain soon," she said, scanning the horizon around them. She turned her attention back to Bella as Kim started to fold up their blanket. "You're welcome to join us. We plan to watch a movie later with the guys."

Emily smiled sweetly before she squatted down to pack up her basket. Bella considered it for a moment before deciding she'd rather have some alone time with Jacob. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips, or the small blush that graced her cheeks as she considered how they might spend their evening.

"Thanks Em, but I think Jake and I have plans tonight," she gave her a modest smile, hoping that her intentions weren't too obvious. If Emily had any suspicions, she kept them to herself.

Bella stood up and shook the sand off of her feet, stepping across the small space to give Emily and Kim each a small hug goodbye. The pair waved a quick goodbye to the pack before slowly making their way back up the beach. She reached down for the book and was about to sit back down again when the first droplet of rain splattered on her forearm.

Bella looked up to find that the sky was now very cloudy, the only blue remaining was quickly vanishing as the storm blew in. With a crack of thunder, the clouds opened up and the rain began to fall in earnest.

Bella sighed deeply, disappointed that the sunshine hadn't lasted longer, but smiled as she considered that an evening of cuddling during a raging tempest would be a fine end to such a wonderful day. She pulled the band out of her hair and shook it down onto her shoulders.

She sat down quickly, brushing the sand from her feet before sliding on her shoes. Glancing up she watched Emily and Kim running to escape the rain. She watched them until they were out of sight, when another commotion in the game caught her attention.

Leah and Paul were standing toe to toe, obviously in disagreement about something. Paul threw his head back and laughed loudly, pushing Leah over the edge. His guard down, Leah landed a hard punch, squarely on his jaw. Bella's hands instinctively came up to cover her mouth in shock.

Paul was on the ground, but only for a moment. The next second he was in Leah's face, only to be shoved aside by Seth, then held back by Sam. Bella couldn't make out the verbal exchange that passed, but she heard shouting, followed immediately by Sam pointing Paul away from the group. Paul threw one final hand gesture at Leah before sprinting off towards the woods.

Bella couldn't help but giggle as Jacob and the others patted Leah on the back, obviously pleased that she'd knocked Paul down a peg or two. Barely concealing a proud smirk, she shrugged them off, turning to walk back to the blanket.

The men seemed completely unconcerned by the now-pouring rain; Jacob took off, running the ball with Embry on his heels, Quil and Sam fighting for position several yards away.

Bella stood, holding Seth's book against herself to keep it dry. Jacob dodged Embry and dug his heels into the sand, whipping around to toss the ball to Quil. Quil spiked the ball and started shaking his hips in a victory dance. Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Jake! Let's go!" she shouted, waving to get his attention.

Jacob grinned in Bella's direction, his perfect white teeth stood out in stark contrast to his beautiful, tan face. He stretched his arms behind his head, his black t-shirt rising to reveal his rain-soaked jeans sagging low on his hips.

The group collectively moved closer to her and she could hear their remarks now.

"Aww, Jake! You're so whipped!" Embry joked, ducking as Jacob swiped at him playfully.

He brought his hands up, inviting Sam to toss him the ball. "Say whatever you want, Em. I'll bet nobody made your sorry-ass breakfast this morning."

"Booyah!" Seth shouted, pumping his arm in the air. He jogged ahead of the group to catch up to his sister, rain pouring down his naked torso. He shook his head, shaking water from his short hair like a wet dog, a pointless gesture since the falling rain continued to soak him.

Bella grinned and beckoned to Jacob with a nod of her head. She tucked Seth's book in between her thighs and reached down to pick up Leah's blanket. She shook the as much sand out of the wet cloth as she could before quickly folding it three times.

Leah stopped a few feet from her and wiped her hands on the ass of her tiny shorts. She gave Bella a friendly smirk before reaching out to take the blanket that Bella offered her. "Thanks Swan," she nodded, backing away from Bella slowly. She set the blanket on top of her head and spun around, steadying it with one hand, before sauntering away in the direction of her mom's house. Water rivulets poured down her long torso, caressing her curves, and Bella again felt a pang of jealousy at Leah's physique.

Seth grinned as he trotted up to Bella, gathering up his shirt where it lay on the sand. Bella offered his book to him but he moved her hand aside and ducked down, grasping Bella in a very tight, very wet hug. "Keep it," he buried his face in her long, wet hair.

"Ugh! Seth!" she groaned. "As if I didn't already resemble a drowned rabbit."

Seth chuckled playfully as he lifted Bella off her feet and spun her around. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before jogging after his sister.

"Good game guys," he shouted over his shoulder, waving broadly before breaking into a sprint after Leah.

"I'm taking off too, guys," Quil announced, reaching out to snatch the football from Embry.

Jacob sidled up to Bella as the rest of the pack drifted by, waving and nodding their goodbyes in her direction. He threw his arm over her shoulder, his warmth immediately spreading across her neck and torso. Bella shivered involuntarily.

"You cold, baby?" Jacob pulled Bella tightly to his chest, tucking her small frame into the warmth of his arms.

Bella nuzzled her face into Jacob's arms as another small shiver rocked her body. "Mmm hmm," she mumbled, pressing her cold nose into against his bare bicep.

Jacob leaned back to catch Bella's eye. He winked, taking Seth's book from her hand, he stuffed it in the back pocket of his jeans, "Let's go home."

~*~

Bella clutched Jacob tightly as they sped down the roads of La Push. She breathed in deeply, enraptured by the warmth and comfort his body afforded her, even in his waterlogged state. Her hands roamed across his chest, appreciating his superbly sculpted muscles through his thin, wet shirt.

Before she knew it they made the final turn into Jacob's driveway. He slowed the bike, navigating the path that led towards his garage, then eased them through the open door and killed the engine.

The soothing, steady sound of rain permeated the atmosphere in the absence of the roar of the motorcycle. Bella squeezed Jacob tightly, her arms still wrapped around him. She pressed her cheek against his broad back, relishing the strong beat of his heart as it echoed her own.

He clasped Bella's hands, threading his warm fingers through her own. He guided her off the bike and dismounted next to her, pulling her into his arms in a tight, sweet hug. Bella was still quite wet and although Jacob was too, his body heat warmed her to the core.

He pulled her long, wet hair over one shoulder and settled his mouth against the newly exposed skin on her neck. He kissed her sweetly… once… twice, before drawing himself back from her and releasing her from his hold. He winked at her playfully before reaching over his head and pulling his wet t-shirt off by the collar. He threw it carelessly over the back of a folding chair as he walked to the still-open garage door.

A flash of lightening lit up the sky causing Bella to jump. Jacob shot her his sunniest grin, brightening the gloom of the pouring rain as only he could. "Come play with me," he gestured with a nod of his head over his shoulder, and took a step backwards into the driving rain.

The rain poured down his smiling face, his long, dark eyelashes trapping small, perfect beads of water. His skin glistened sinfully, his naked chest complimented by the small line of dark hair that started at his belly button and disappeared underneath the exposed waistband of his navy boxers.

Bella smiled before taking a running leap into Jacob's arms.

~*~

Jacob and Bella were both grinning and completely drenched when they walked through the Blacks' front door… twenty-five minutes later.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Special thanks to my awesome friend and beta, michstargazer. Check out her profile and mine for more fabulous Jacob/Bella, and check out all the other SOB Rain Challenge entries. There are some awesome stories!!


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